Five people, including three children, have died after a gas explosion caused a residential building to partially collapse in the city of Nizhny Tagil in Russia’s Urals, the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) said on Friday. The blast destroyed two sections of a five-story apartment building that contained 15 flats.
EMERCOM confirmed that 15 people had been recovered from rubble by rescue teams overnight, along with several pets. A total of 20 people sustained injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Five people, including three minors, remain missing.
Footage from the scene shows rescue teams working to clear the rubble. The emergency services have evacuated the remaining blocks of the apartment building, which house 70 more people, warning that there is a threat of further collapse. The regional authorities have organized temporary accommodation for the evacuees in a local hotel.
More than 550 emergency workers and several canine teams are currently involved in the search and rescue operation, according to the ministry.
Nizhny Tagil Mayor Vladislav Pinaev has promised that everyone affected by the tragedy would receive psychological and financial assistance. The city has already allocated over 240 million rubles ($2.8 million) to aid the victims, TASS reported, citing authorities.
The local prosecutor’s office has launched a criminal probe following the incident. According to preliminary reports from investigators, the blast took place in an apartment on the third floor of the building on Thursday. A malfunction of gas equipment or violation of the rules of its operation are considered possible causes of the explosion. Investigators are also looking into reports that two gas technicians were seen at the site shortly before the blast.
Nizhny Tagil is located some 1,000km east of Moscow and is famous for being home to Uralvagonzavod, a major Russian manufacturer of tanks and armored vehicles.